Murrells Inlet star leads Gamecocks to victory
Tanner English scored twice and drove in a run in the Gamecocks 5-1 Super Regional win over Oklahoma.
The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 5-1 to win the NCAA Columbia Super Regional before a sold out crowd of 8,242 at Carolina Stadium, to earn another trip to the College World Series. The Gamecocks won the series two games to none.
The game started on Sunday night. Rain forced a postponement in the sixth inning with the game scoreless. South Carolina scored two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth on Monday to eliminate the Sooners and win a record 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament game.
Murrells Inlet native Tanner English, who graduated from St. James High last year, went 2-for-3 at the plate, scored two runs, and drove in another to help the Gamecocks get out to a 3-0 lead. Chase Vergason accounted for the other runs for South Carolina with an RBI double that plated two more.
Conway High product Colby Holmes pitched the first five innings of shutout ball for the Gamecocks on Sunday night. Tyler Webb got the win, pitching one shutout inning in relief. Matt Price slammed the door with three shutout innings to pick up the save. Gamecocks pitchers allowed only three Sooner hits in the close out game.
The Gamecocks won the opening game of the series 5-0, and completed the sweep with the 5-1 rain-delayed victory on Monday.
The Gamecocks (45-17) will defend their back-to-back National Championships as one of eight teams advancing to the College World Series. South Carolina will play the Florida Gators in the opening round of the double-elimination CWS in Omaha. The Gamecocks and Gators will play at 9 p.m. EST on Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. It will be South Carolina's 11th World Series appearance.
South Carolina swept three straight games at the NCAA Columbia Regional by beating Manhattan once and Clemson twice. They followed with a two game sweep over Oklahoma in the Super Regional, and are riding a five game win streak.
The last team to beat the Gamecocks was the Gators, who knocked South Carolina out of the SEC Tournament. Florida has won three of the four previous meetings this season against the Gamecocks.
